It's Never Too Late
by NoteEmmy
Summary: Atem is changing after hearing information that shattered his entire world. Seth wants him to know things can be changed, it's just never too late. Written from "It's Never Too Late" for my friend Ducky SethxAtem Complete


Up on his balcony, all alone he stood. Crimson eyes swept through the crowds that awaited his words, his praise, his love; love that he undyingly kept for these people, but now up there-

It felt wrong.

He was shaking. The adrenaline working against him, taking his fight or flight response to unbelievable levels towards the latter. His hands gripped the railing in a white-knuckled strength. Things had twisted so far out of control for him that he nearly felt like falling from this dizzying height to the sands below.

"Pharaoh," The High Priest just off to his right spoke up, noticing the unrest in his unspoken love's stance.

It was enough to snap him to, the calming baritone always the mainstay of his life these days. "Thank you." He murmured back before raising a hand to silence the joyous crowds before him.

The speech was one of strength, strength he didn't know he possessed anymore. Where had his days gone? He was once the crown prince, heir to the throne with a dream. He had such passion for that seat of power; he had so much he wanted to accomplish. And with one Priestess' words in the night it all left. He'd already been shaking in his shoes over losing his father and mother one right after the other, but now life was over.

Seth noticed the shadows in Atem's face, the lank in his stance, the furrow of his brow and his increasingly short temper- or was it the lack of? Atem was barely there anymore. During meetings he drifted off, and not in the endearing way of falling asleep at the throne- he just wasn't there. His eyes were empty, lacking the fire the priest had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Atem was missing, and needed to be found.

The young Pharaoh had taken a horse from the stable during midday, leaving the throne room in a quick instant without another word. The Court watched after him, ordering the palace guards to go after him but Seth stopped them. "I will keep an eye on him." Though he planned to do so much more.

He picked another steed from the sheds, hopping to it and nudging it quickly to full speed. Atem was a master equestrian, knowing how to negate his favorite horse through sharp twists and turns and how to make her gallop as fast as the winds of time. Seth was only just behind before he saw the horse begin to fall to trot, the Pharaoh slipping from the saddle to his knees in the sand.

Suddenly Seth realized this was meant to be private. Atem was cracking, showing a side he was never allowed to. His breathing erratic, and what sounded like choked sobs emitting from that small frame; it was enough to shatter the priest's heart to pieces. He slid from his horse, moving to place a hand on Atem's shoulder.

Atem's shaking hand came up to hold Seth's, knowing who it was without even looking. No one had cared for him as much as this man had; even if it was a secret in their eyes, and a slow dance and sway that could never come to fruition- he was sure they both knew.

"Go back to the palace." Though it was meant as an order, his voice was too soft to give authority.

"Not without you, Pharaoh."

His hand left Seth's. "Go away, Priest."

Despite that cruel twist in his gut, Seth was determined to see this out. If he could fix Atem… "I am at your side till death."

"You will not have to wait that long then."

Seth's calm façade cracked at that. What on earth did that mean? Not having to wait long? Was the Pharaoh waiting for death? Sure, it was well enough known that there were bandits and thieves after his blood, but he was well protected- and even thinking that, Seth knew it was wrong. The distress fluttering without his entire being led him to believe Atem was waiting for something bigger.

Seth knelt in front of him. "Pharaoh, we are always behind you. We will not let you perish." It had to be believed.

Atem looked up, anger flashing through his eyes before leaving. "I will have to, to save you."

"Foolishness." The word was quick and harsh, accidental. "We are here to protect you, not the other way around."

Atem's hands came up to grip Seth's shoulders. "You do not understand, Priest." Atem had already distanced himself so far; Seth was beginning to wonder if this was irreversible. "This world waits upon my sacrifice. If I fail to heed to their call, everyone will fall underneath evil's foot. I cannot let this happen. I am the chosen one and I will have to fix this."

It had eaten him alive since the first moment those words left Isis' lips. He was a gambit- for everyone, for his Gods. Had he really been born just to die so quickly? He wanted to think he could accept this kind of destiny, but he was …

Seth's arms came around him, embracing him in such a fool way; an illegal way, a taboo of the highest degree. "Don't be frightened, my Pharaoh." Seth could see it from a mile away. "We will find another way. Things will be well. You will live to finish your reign right into old age and die happy to go home to your Gods. I promise." He would have to have been right. He would never, ever let Atem die. He would not let Atem be scared. He would not let Atem fight this alone, not now that he knew.

Atem struggled to push him away. "It is too late. My fate was decided from my first cry at birth."  
"You cannot say that." He was becoming upset. Atem was throwing away his life for a noble cause- of course, but there had to be another way. Someone told him something wrong; Seth was sure of it. "We will fight with you. We will overcome whatever it is heading our way."

Atem finally found the strength to push away, getting to his feet. Rare storm clouds gathered, covering up the light of Ra. Seth could only wait for a command from his kneeling position. The tears had already been shed from both of them; one so scared by having to accept his death, and the other not ready to let him do that. Pharaoh and Priest, forbidden lovers- love that would never see the light of day, once because of law, now because of destiny.

"You are not to tell anyone this." That was a command, his tone harsh now, trying to cover for all the sorrow and panic in his being.

Seth cringed, ready to give up his entire position, everything he'd worked so hard for to get here- it was about to go out the window. "Forget it." The words tingled on his lips, refusing an order from his Pharaoh and simultaneously being rude and angry with said King.

Seth stood, embracing Atem, taking his arms in his hands and almost shaking him, as if trying to shake sense into him. His crystal blue eyes gazing intensely into those blurry crimson ones. "We will fight. We will gather a bigger army. The Court is behind you. It is not too late to change fate."

"You cannot change fate!"

The shout was one that echoed across the entire desert. Atem was lost. He was not moving back from this brink. Seth wrapped his arms tightly around the Pharaoh, refusing to let go for anything; even if someone were to come out there, he would never let go. "I will be with you until the end. If it is your end it is mine as well, Pharaoh."

"You are to be the new Pharaoh."

Seth's vision crackled from in front of him, a sharp pain shooting through his entire being and rocking his soul. Atem was to leave and he was going to place him on the throne? "Too cruel…."

"You are the only one I trust." Atem's arms finally came up around Seth, needing the comfort that wouldn't change a damn thing.

"I will fight with you until the end. If you die I die, do you understand me, Atem?" The name never allowed to be spoken seemed only so appropriate here.

"I love you."

"I have always loved you."

Not another word, not anything else exchanged. There was nothing to fix, and no matter how hard Seth tried the days after that, it wouldn't have mattered. Atem was jaded, frightened but willing to face that untimely end. Seth was determined to keep him. In his mind he would fix this, he would assemble the warriors, find more, the best-

The battle finally came, dark as night during the day; and a giant evil looming over the field. Atem left directions with his court, telling them that he was leaving, what to do with the Sennen Items, what to do with his name, and his body. Seth stood in the shadows, shaking out of sorrow, fear, anger.

As Atem stepped outside, Seth followed. "I told you to stay in the palace." Atem's voice dead.

"You die I die, Atem."

A sickly pale light struck between them, as if lightening from the heavens above to separate them. This was Atem's fate, and while Atem was ready to take it, Seth was not ready to see him go. Seth grabbed his hand as he departed to the field. "We can fix this…"

He just wanted to go back. He wanted to be children again, waving at each other, studying side by side, fighting, sparring, playing-

"It is too late."

"It's never too late."

The two died that day. Atem lay slain on the battlefield, his righteous destiny played out in full as Seth watched with bleary, tearstained eyes. Seth was never the same again, but inside- he kept hope. He knew one day his Pharaoh would return. He held hope. The Gods were not that cruel. Atem had locked himself away for a reason, right? He would be back.

Atem would return.

Their time would come.

"It's never too late..."

"I beg your pardon, Pharaoh?"

"Nothing."


End file.
